Drilling equipment.



L. E. SHOUP.

DRiLLlNG EQUIPMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1914.

1,165,723. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

WITNE5SE5 INVENTOR Y LOUIS 2 SHOUP arfi'w BYM WW4 ATTORNEY UNTTE %TATE PATENT @FFMJHL LOUIS E. SHOUP, F FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRILLING EQUIPMENT.

Application filed March 5, 1914:.

forth with suiiicient clearness to enable those skilled in the art of well-drilling to use the same.

In the drilling of oil and Artesian wells,

it is customary to employ a walking-beam for the purpose of imparting the vertical reciprocation to the well bit, and this invention contemplates that the drill shall be operated in this way. i

The drilling-tools for a deep-well drilling-rig usually comprise the drill-bit, the stem and the rope-socket, the combined weight of which is about two thousand pounds, consequently in imparting to this considerable mass of weight a vertically-reciprocating movement, the cable which connects it with the walking-beam when drilling, or to the bull-wheel when spudding in must be long enough to possess a degree of elasticity, otherwise the wear and tear upon the drilling-rig would be so great, that no ordinary construction would withstand it for any length of time.

With the usual form of drilling-rig, when the well is being started, the drilling-cable is passed from the bull-wheel over the crown-pulley at the top of the derrick, from whence it passes downward and attaches to.

the r0pe-socket of the tools. This provides about ninety feet of cable,-which is a sutficient length to have the required elasticity inherent therein. In order to impart the vertical reciprocation to the tools, a cable which is attached at one end to the crank ot the band-wheel is connected to the b'ull-' wheel branch of the drilling-cable, between the crown-wheel and the bullwheel, and, as said crank revolves, at one portion of the throw thereof, the bull-wheel branch of the cable is pulled out of its direct alinement, and at the opposite portion of said throw, the cable is permitted to resume its direct alinement, whereby the drill is caused to reciprocate vertically.

This is what is called spudding in, and the hole is drilled iIlthlS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented Dec. 28, 1915.

Serial No. 822,683.

way to a depth of about one hundred and fifty feet, more or less, or so that there is about one hundred feet of cable in the hole. At this depth, the walking-beam may be em ployed to continue the drilling in the usual way, since there is sufficient cable in the hole, or betweenthe walking-beam and the rope-socket, to give the required elasticity.

Drilling-cable'is expensive and spudding in is hard on the cable and causes it to wear rapidly, as all drillers know, hence it is desirable to be able to discontinue the spudding operation as soon as possible, and continue the drilling with the walking-beam, and it is the object of the invention to provide equipment whereby the spudding operation may be discontinued considerably sooner than in the process above described,

. that is, as soon as the rope-socket is slightly below the walking-beam. The equipment by which I am enabled to attain said object is illustrated in the drawings, the various figures of which are as follows:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a drilling-rig, equipped in accordance with my invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are details.

The drawings are for the purpose of illustration merely, and do not purport to show the only way in which my inventive idea may be applied.

The construction here shown is as follows:--I provide a feed device of about the same construction as that shown in certain Letters Patent, No. 1,003,011, issued to me on the 12th day of September, 1911, for a feed device "for drilling rigs. Said device comprises a drum 1, mounted in a suitable bracket 2, which is secured to the samsonpost 3, upon the upper end of which post the walking-beam is pivotally mounted. A worm-gear 5 is employed to revolve said drum 1 and a hand-wheel 6 is mounted upon the worm-shaft, for the purpose of actuating said' gear and drum. A drum-line 7 is employed, one end of which is attached to an eye-belt S in the samson-post, from whence it passes around a pulley 9 of a double sheave-block or equalizing-device, thence downward and around the feeddrum 1.

A feed-cable is employed, one end or branch 10 of which is suitably secured to the outer end of the walking-beam at 11. From this attaching point, the cable passes downward, through a pulley 12, thence up.-

Ward and over a pulley 13 secured to the walking-beam, thence along the walkingbeam and around a pulley l t at the opposite end of the walking-beam, thence back along said beam and over a pulley 15 positioned at the pivotal point of the beam, thence downward and around the other pulley 16 of the equalizing device. From said equalizing pulley, which is at the central part of the cable, said cable forms another branch 10, which passes backward over a pulley upon the other side, and at the pivotal point of the walking-beam 4:, corresponding to pulley 15, thence over a pulley corresponding to pulley 14, thence over a pulley corresponding to pulley 13, thence downward around pulley 17, thence upward and attaches to a point corresponding to 11 upon the other side of the beam. To the pulleys 12 and 17 the drill-tackle is secured which comprises the yoke 18, swivel 19, clamps 20, between which clamps the drill-cable 21 is secured, the end of the cable being attached to the drill-stem by means of the rope-socket 22. The feed-cable as here arranged, is approximately feet long, and this supplies the desired elasticity or spring, so that this equipment may be employed as soon as the hole is deep enough, so that there will be about 2 feet of drill-cable 21 between the rope-socket 22 and the clamps 20. A considerahle length of drum-line 7 is wound upon drum 1. The equalizing device which comprises the pulleys 9 and 16 is adapted to travel from drum 1 to pulley 15. and its counterpart upon the other side of the beam, and by means of this provision, the feedcable is fed outward as the drill-bit advances in its work.

Instead of being attached to the walkingbeam at the point 11, the ends of the branches 10 and 10 of the feed cable, could be secured directly to the yoke 18, without departing from the scope of my invention or materially reducing the eiiiciency of the equipment here shown.

The walking-beam 4c is actuated in the usual manner, by means of the crank 23 and the connecting-rod 24:.

I claim:

1. A well-drilling equipment comprising, in combination, a walking-beam, drilltackle, a feed-cable, and means for adjusting said cable to advance the drill to its work, said cable being attached to said tackle, disposed along substantially the en.- tire length of said beam, and of a sufficient length to have the inherent spring necessary for the drilling operation.

A well-drilling equipment comprising, in combination, a walking-beam. drill tackle, a feed-cable, and means for adjusting said cable to advance the drill to its work, said cable being attached to said tackle, and dis posed along substantially the entire length of said beam, and of a suiiicient length to have, exclusive of the drilling-cable, the necessary spring for the drilling operation.

8. A well'drilling equipment comprising, in combination, a walking-beam, drilltackle, a feed-cable, and means for advancing said cable to feed the drill to its work; said cable being, approximate to both its ends, in engagement with said tackle and disposed intermediate said ends along the greater portion of said beam, and means engaging said cable in proximity to the central portion thereof arranged to insure equalization of tension upon the respective branches thereof.

4. A well-drilling equipment comprising, in combination, a walking-beam, terminal pulleys positioned adjacent to both ends of said beam upon either side thereof, and pivotal pulleys positioned at the pivotal point of said beam, cable and means for adjusting said cable to advance the drill; said cable being attached, adjacent to itsends, to said tackle, thence passing over said terminal and pivotal pulleys, said adjusting-means being in engagement with said cable, in proximity to the middle portion thereof. i

5. A well-drilling equipment comprising,

in combination, a walking-beam, pulleys upon said beam, positioned at either end and at the pivotal point thereof. drill-tackle, a feed-cable, and means for adjusting said cable to advance the drill to its work, tacklepulleys positioned intermediate said drilltackle and said terminal pulleys which are adjacent thereto; the endsof said cable being attached to one end of the walking-beam, each branch of said cable thence passing downward and around its respective tacklepulley, which pulleys are connected to the drill-tackle, thence upward to opposite sides of said beam, each branch passing over a pulley at its respective side of the beam, thence along the beam and around a positioned at the other end of the beam, thence returning along the beam and passing over pulleys positioned at the pivotal point of the beam; said adjusting means engaging said'cable at the central portion thereof.

6. A well drilling equipment comprising in combination, a walking-beam, pulleys mounted upon said beam and positioned at either end thereof and at the pivotal point thereof, drill-tackle, a feed-cable, means for adjusting said cable to advance the drill, means arranged to equalize the tension upon the two branches thereof, and tackle-pulleys positioned intermediate said drill-tackle and said terminal pulleys. which are adjacent thereto, the two ends of said cable being attached to one end of the walking beam,

each branch thereof thence passing downward and around its respective tackle-pul drill-tackle, a feed pulley" ley, which pulleys are connected to the drilltackle, thence upward to opposite sides of said beam, respectively and passing over pulleys upon said end of said beam, thence along the beam and over pulleys positioned at the opposite end of the beam, thence back along the beam and over pulleys positioned at the pivotal point thereof; said adjusting and equalizing means being in engagement with said feed cable at the central portion thereof.

7. A well drilling equipment comprising in combination, a walking-beam, pulleys mounted upon said beam and positioned at either end thereof and at the pivotal point thereof, drill-tackle, a feed-cable, means for adjusting said cable to advance the drill, means arranged to equalize the tension upon the two branches thereof, and tackle-pulleys positioned intermediate said drill-tackle and said terminal pulleys which are adjacent thereto, the two ends of said cable being attached to one end of the walking-beam, each branch thereof thence passing downward and around its respective tackle-pulley, which pulleys are connected to the drilltackle, thence upward to opposite sides of said beam, respectively, and passing over pulleys upon said end of said beam, thence along the beam and over pulleys positioned at the opposite end of the beam, thence back along the beam and over pulleys positioned at the pivotal point thereof; said adjusting means being in engagement with said feed cable at the central portion thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS E. SHOUP.

Witnesses:

ELISHA W. CREswELL, J OHN L. Nnsnrr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenta, Washington, D. G. 

